Imperfect Countenance
by YaoiGoddessNekoJin
Summary: In the world of modeling, where vanity reigns supreme, what would happen to one model's career when a horrible crime robs him of his chance at stardom? AU Kai/Rei
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Imperfect Countenance

**Author:** YaoiGoddessNekoJin

**Rating:** T

**Warnings:** Yaoi, Language, Violence, Implied Rape

**A/N:** This story is the result of an evil plot bunny of doom that came to me while I was watching an episode of Law & Order: SVU. Thus, I decided to write it, post it, and see how it went. Enjoy! ^-^

_**Chapter I**_

A camera flashed and small 'clicks' echoed off the brick walls of the studio. A large, deep red backdrop took up the majority of the largest wall in the room and a bright spotlight illuminated the area where a young man stood. The most striking features about him were the bright, golden eyes, encircled in dark eyeliner, and the long, black river of hair that was held up in a high ponytail. Two long strands of hair on either side of the exotic beauty's face only served to further accentuate his eyes. The teen wore a halter-style black corset, which was laced with crimson ribbon, and tight, black leather pants. A two inch space between his shirt and pants showcased his perfectly tan and smooth skin. His feet were encased in black platform boots, which gave him a few inches in height and gave him even more of tall, graceful, and ethereal presence. A coy and playful smile graced his lips as he posed for more pictures to be taken.

"Rei, you're doing great, as always. Keep it up and you'll be doing television commercials in no time." said a tall woman with medium length blonde hair. Judy Tate was one of the nation's leading talent managers. She prided herself in her ability to pick out rising superstars in various fields. This new kid, however, was blowing her away. His name was Rei Kon and she had been very surprised to find out that he came from a remote village high in the mountains of China. When his parents passed away, Rei had taken all the money he had and moved into a small apartment in Japan. Judy ran into him about six months prior, when his landlord was kicking him out of said apartment for lack of payment, and she decided to take a chance on this now homeless boy. For all of her year's experience, she had been captivated by his beauty. It seemed the rest of the world agreed with her too because, soon after she convinced him to model, his career took off. Rei's popularity seemed to be rising more each day and the teen was loving it. One night, after his first successful magazine shoot, Rei had confided in her that he had always wanted to be famous; to be _somebody_ in the world.

"_That's why I left China after my parents died. What happened was horrible and for months I felt myself sinking deeper and deeper into depression. Then, one day, I just got out of bed, looked at myself in the mirror, and decided that now was my time to fly. I spent my entire life in that village and I wanted to see what lay beyond those walls. I knew the world was a big place, but I yearned to see that for myself." Rei looked down at the soda in his hand, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I wanted to make a splash. I saw that my parents lived and died in virtual anonymity and I didn't want to suffer the same fate. I wanted people to know who I was." Judy just stared at Rei as he finished speaking. She was amazed that one so young had such deep thoughts. There was definitely more to this boy than met the eye. She sat in silence as she realized that she had only just begun to scratch the surface of what Rei Kon was made of._

That night had been a turning point in the relationship that existed between herself and Rei. Even her son Max got along increadibly well with the Chinese youth. Judy was pulled from her thoughts as her cellphone began to ring. She quickly pulled it out of her purse to answer it.

"Hello? Yes, this is she...yes...yes...oh, that's great!" Judy was beaming as she listened to the voice on the other end. "Wonderful...yes, thank you so much!" After she snapped her phone shut, Judy made a beeline for Rei. The man behind the camera, always loving a chance to keep things real, kept snapping pictures of the Asian teen as he turned questioning eyes to his manager.

"What's up Judy?" he asked.

"Rei, you're not going to believe this; I have great news. I was just on the phone with the editor-in-chief of a major American magazine. She has invited you to New York to do a photo shoot for a spread in next month's issue. You're also going to be on the cover." Rei's amber eyes got impossibly large at the information and his jaw went slack. It was a few moments before he was able to speak.

"Wh-wha-...why?" Judy laughed at the dumbfounded question.

"She said that they were going to do an article about a rising star in the modeling industry. One of her friends recently came to Japan on a business trip and took home one of the magazines that you did a shoot for. She thought you would be perfect for it. Rei, you do realize how amazing this is for your career, right? This will launch you in the U.S." As she spoke, Judy noticed that a delighted smile bloomed on the boy's face. Joy was dancing in his eyes and he was utterly speechless. Several seconds passed before Rei asked the one question that popped into his mind.

"When do we leave?"

"Next week."

~x~x~x~

"Rei, these are some of the most gorgeous pictures you've ever taken." Judy said in awe as she looked through the latest stack of photos that her assistant just handed her. The Chinese boy blushed crimson at the compliment. He walked over to the large desk the blonde woman was sitting at and looked at the picture she was talking about. He immediately recognized it as one of the candid photos that the photographer had taken as he got the news about his upcoming job. "The happiness in your entire expression is just so real...so beautiful." Rei laughed quietly behind his hand before replying.

"That's because it is real." Judy just cut her eyes at him, unable to stop the smile that spread on her face. Before she had a chance to respond, however, the oak doors to her office slammed open and an exuberant blonde bounced into the room.

"Hey mom!" Max exclaimed. He turned huge blue eyes onto Rei. "Hi Rei!" Rei smiled back in greeting as Judy stood and hugged her son.

"Hello sweetie. How did your classes go?"

"They were great, mom! And I told all of my professors about the trip. I was able to get assignments to work on while we're in America." Max smiled up at his mother cheerfully and she patted his hair.

"That's great, honey. Do you have everything packed? You know we leave for the airport in about an hour."

"I sure do!"

"What about you Rei?" she asked as she turned her attention to the other boy.

"Yes ma'am." he answered politely. That was one thing that Judy had yet to break Rei of. He was so polite and formal all the time. For that reason, she thought encouraging Rei and Max to hang out would be good for the model. He needed to stay grounded and having at least one down to earth friend would hopefully see to that.

~x~x~x~

Rei looked around the private jet in amazement. This was his first time in one seeing as, until now, his job had never taken them out of Japan. Was this how famous people traveled? He was unaware that they even made planes as fancy as this one. He could definitely get used to it. Rei looked out of the window beside him. Everything below appeared to be so tiny. This was only the second time he had flown and he still couldn't wrap his head around the fact that they were so detached from the world; up so high in the sky that every problem seemed trivial.

"It's neat isn't it?" Rei turned his head to look at Max beside him. He was sipping a soda and leaning over toward Rei so he could see out the window.

"Yeah, it is. A year ago, I never could have even imagined that I'd see such a sight."

"Your village was pretty closed off, huh?"

"It was. I had never even seen a television set until I moved to Japan. It was so surreal to suddenly be thrust into such an advanced world." Max's expression was one of astonishment as he listened intently to Rei.

"Whoa! Really? That's crazy!" the black-haired teen simply laughed at his friend's response.

Judy smiled as she watched the two boys from her seat on a couch-like bench on the opposite side of the plane. She was glad that they got along so well. They really were good for each other. Max could teach Rei how to cut loose and not be so uptight, and Rei could help the blonde calm down and not be so hyper. She had a good feeling that the two would be the best of friends.

~x~x~x~

Rei slipped on his sunglasses as everyone exited the plane. They were standing in the middle of the large asphalt lot when a long, black limousine pulled up in front of them. Rei just stared as the driver got out and opened the back door. Three men filed out of the limo and Rei studied them as they made their way towards his small group. The one Rei noticed first was the one leading the other two. He had bright red hair, which was in the craziest style that he had ever seen, and blue eyes that were seemingly made of ice. The two behind the redhead were just as peculiar, even though Rei got the distinct feeling that he would never _ever_ want to run across them in a dark alley. Both were dressed in matching black suits. Rei had to laugh to himself as he noticed the radios in each of their ears. They looked like they had stepped right out of one of Max's spy movies. The tallest of the two reminded him of a phantom. His lilac hair and matching eyes gave him an otherworldly feel. Rei became slightly nervous when he noticed that the man's stare could freeze a glacier. He decided that he certainly didn't want this man to catch him staring and let his amber eyes travel to the shorter of the two. This one was...interesting. His hair was two-toned, the front being a slate color and the back a deep, navy blue, and the prettiest crimson eyes he had ever seen. This one was definitely an enigma. His eyes held a cold and aloof air to them, but still weren't as frigid as the taller man's. Rei quickly decided that all three men were very attractive...gorgeous even. His eyes, however, kept being drawn to the man whose eyes reminded him of rubies. Rei was so dazed that he was startled when the redhead was suddenly standing right in front of them and speaking.

"Good afternoon Mrs. Tate. My name is Tala Ivanov. I'm Mrs. Lebedev's personal assistant and I've been sent here to escort the three of you to your hotel." Rei was amazed at how...business like this man was. Based on his first impression, Rei thought he seemed like the wild type. "These two are Bryan Kuzentov and Kai Hiwatari. They will be acting as your security for the duration of your stay." When Tala was finished speaking, Judy stepped forward to introduce them.

"It's nice to meet you Tala. And, please, call me Judy. This young man right here is the whole reason we're here. His name is Rei Kon. And this is my son, Max." Rei was embarrassed when he saw how the eyes of the three before them studied him head to toe. There was a certain look in their eyes; similar to that of a predator looking at it's prey. These three scared him and Rei knew that this was going to be a _long_ two weeks.

~x~x~x~

**TBC...**

**A/N: **Well, let me know what ya think. ^-^


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** Imperfect Countenance

**Author:** YaoiGoddessNekoJin

**Rating:** T

**Warnings:** Yaoi, Language, Violence, Implied Rape

**A/N:** Okies, here we are at chapter 2. I want to thank everyone who reviewed the first chapter. I really appreciate it. ^-^ So, I'm trying to update this story as fast as I can, but I'm sort of alternating between updating this one and the other Beyblade fic I have up. With that in mind, as long as I stay inspired, this fic should be updated about every other day...maybe...hopefully... Well, on with the fic! ^-^

_**Chapter II**_

Rei tried to look anywhere in the elevator other then at the three men he had met earlier that day. The silence in the small box was deafening, as the entire ride to the office building had been, and Rei was becoming more nervous and anxious as the seconds ticked by quietly. He started to fidget with the hem of his shirt as he stared at his reflection in the chrome wall beside him. He couldn't believe that people were actually willing to pay him for his photos. Rei thought himself rather plain and unspectacular. In his village in China, there hadn't been much emphasis put on appearances so nobody ever told him that he was attractive. Well, his parents did enjoy calling him their _cute little boy, _but that was the only thing he ever heard regarding his looks. The most important thing was how beautiful a person was on the inside. If their personality was lacking, then it was a sure bet that no one associated with them. That was the very reason that, after arriving in Japan, he suffered from quite the culture shock when he found out that the rest of the world was the exact opposite. When he was first approached by Judy, he thought she was just playing a prank on him when she told him that he could be a model. After he relented, however, he found that he actually enjoyed getting dressed up and posing for the camera. He liked the feeling of confidence that he got when people doted over the way he looked. He knew it was wrong and increadibly vain, but it made him feel special...important even. It was like he actually belonged in this modern, fast-paced world. Rei was torn from his thoughts when the elevator lurched to a stop and the small '_ding' _signaled that they had arrived at their destination. As soon as the metal doors slid open with a _'swoosh,' _Tala walked swiftly from it, leading the way across the large waiting room and up to a vast, semi-circular desk against the back wall.

"Is Mrs. Lebedev in her office, Stacy?" he asked the friendly-looking brunette sitting at the desk. She smiled brightly at the redhead as she shook her head.

"Not right now. She's down the hall in a meeting, but you guys can go on in. She should be back any minute now."

"Alright, thanks." Tala didn't wait for the others, simply turning and making his way to the glass door to the right of the reception desk. Judy and Max, not having spoken since the airport, followed behind the redhead. Rei hesitated for a moment, earning himself a sharp nudge in the ribs. He whipped around to come face to face with a smirking Bryan. Glaring in indignation, Rei marched toward the door. Once they were standing in the office, amber eyes widened in awe at the sheer magnitude of what he had initially thought was a small room. There was a huge black desk against a wall, which was made of nothing but glass. The view took Rei's breath away. In the far corner, a floor to ceiling book case was filled to the brim with books of all shapes and sizes. A tall plant, bearing bright purple flowers, was situated opposite the bookcase. Plush, comfy-looking chairs were strewn in different areas of the room and certificates and awards decorated the walls. Rei walked in a daze and seated himself in a chair directly in front of the desk. Judy and Max took the two chairs to his left and the others sat further back against one of the walls. Suddenly, Rei's neck began to tingle and he got the distinct feeling that he was being watched. He tried to ignore the sensation, but, after a few minutes, he was unable to take anymore. The black-haired boy turned his head slightly to glance at the three sitting against the wall and was surprised to find that Bryan and Kai were murmuring to each other. Crimson and lilac eyes turned to him and similar smirks were directed his way. Were they talking about him? Rei couldn't believe their nerve. Didn't they know how rude they were being? Deciding to say something to them, Rei opened his mouth, but failed to get further than that as the door to the office swung open. A _sort of _friendly-looking woman swept briskly into the room. She had dark brown hair that was pulled up into a messy bun and the drastic angles in the glasses, perched on her angular nose, complimented the sharpness in her gray eyes. She walked over to her desk and it wasn't until she took her seat that an amicable smile graced her lips.

"Hello, and it's nice to meet you all. I'm Claudette Lebedev." she glanced at Rei, "I'm assuming you are Mr. Kon."

"Yes ma'am. Please, call me Rei though." he smiled, taking the hand she offered him in a handshake.

"It's nice to meet you Rei. Judy and...Max?" she asked, turning to the other two to take their hands as well. After they were all finished exchanging pleasantries, Mrs. Lebedev got down to business. Rei zoned out for the millionth time that day as Judy and Claudette, who seemed like they were becoming fast friends, talked about the business side of things amongst themselves. He leaned back, so that he could see behind Judy, to check on how Max was doing. The blonde had been so unnaturally quiet since they had gotten to New York that he was beginning to worry. Max looked just as bored as Rei was feeling and, when blue eyes turned to him, Rei couldn't help but laugh quietly as Max crossed said eyes and stuck his tongue out.

~x~x~x~

Kai traded exasperated looks with his two friends as they observed Max and Rei goof off behind Judy's back. Those two really were a couple of idiots. How on earth did he get stuck here? Kai blamed his grandfather for all of this. The great Voltaire Hiwatari was actually _forcing_ Kai to work a meaningless job for a living. He was threatening to cut him off from the family fortune, instead leaving it to his assistant, Boris Balcov. Everyone kept telling Kai that Voltaire was doing it for his own good; that he needed to learn how to support himself and not rely solely on his family's legacy. The bluenette knew the truth, though. He knew that the only reason the old coot was pulling this stunt was because he knew that it would be the best punishment he could dole out. Voltaire was a sadistic bastard and wanted nothing more than to one up Kai for humiliating him at a business meeting a few months back. So now, here he was, playing babysitter to a spoiled model and his dumb friend. The only bright side to this entire situation was that he was able to drag Tala and Bryan along for the ride. Kai's eyes traveled back to the raven-haired boy, catching Rei studying him. When he realized he was caught, golden eyes widened and a crimson blush bloomed across his gently tanned skin. Then again, maybe this gig wouldn't be so bad. Kai was sure Bryan, Tala, and himself would have a _great _time tormenting this kid.

~x~x~x~

Once the meeting was over, Mrs. Lebedev invited Judy out for dinner so that they could chat and get to know each other better. The brunette asked Tala and the others to escort Rei and Max to the hotel that they would be staying at and keep them company for the evening. Rei chewed his bottom lip nervously at this new revelation. He could already tell that this night was not going to end well, if the smirks on the Russian's faces were anything to go by. He really didn't fancy the idea of spending the entire evening cooped up in a hotel room with the three scariest men he had ever met. Rei looked at Max, who was completely oblivious to his anxiety. _'This does not bode well for either of us.' _

~x~x~x~

When they finally arrived at the hotel, having been stuck in traffic for the longest time, Rei let out a tiny sigh of relief. He seemed to have developed claustrophobia on the ride over. The air in the limo had been charged with discomfort and awkward silences. As Rei stretched after stepping out of the car, he let his eyes travel up the height of the skyscraper in front of him. It was gigantic! While the small band of boys made their way into the building, Rei tapped Max on the shoulder to get his attention.

"Yeah?"

"How do you feel about those three?" he asked in a trepidatious whisper.

"I dunno, why?" Max replied.

"I don't trust them. They're...weird..." Max's only response was to giggle. "What?" Rei asked, looking at Max as if he had just sprouted a second head.

"Rei, you don't even know them. I mean, yeah, they kinda are weird, but some people probably said the same about you." Rei spluttered for a second in indignation before he was able to put anything into words.

"Well...that's because I was sheltered! What's their excuse? I just wish they would stop eyeballing me like they have been the entire day." Max laughed again, the only other sound being the _'ding' _as the elevator doors opened.

The eclectic group had been so wrapped up in their own thoughts and conversations that none of them noticed the eyes that watched them from afar. A camera flashed as multiple pictures were taken before the man, donning a black trench coat, got back into his car and sped away from the hotel.

~x~x~x~

Max was the first to gather his wits and regain his ability to speak after they stepped into the large suite. They had ascended to a floor near the top of the building before finally getting off the elevator. If Rei had thought that Mrs. Lebedev's office was amazing, then this suite was insane. From the immense sitting room, Rei could see a kitchenette and three doors that, he imagined, led to bedrooms. The furnishings in the room were increadibly sophisticated and elegant.

"Oh. My. Goodness." were the only words that tumbled from the blonde's mouth. Rei walked in the door behind the others, planning to set his bags down by the front closet, unfortunately, a strategically placed foot managed to effectively trip him and send him crashing to the ground. Rei grunted at the impact and turned slightly pink in embarrassment. He sent a withering glare back towards the door, said glare loosing some of its venom when he saw that it was a smug-looking Kai that had tripped him. Max rushed over and helped him to his feet as the three men laughed at Rei's expense. As soon as he was up, Rei stalked over to Kai and got into his face.

"What the hell did you do that for?" he shouted. The bluenette didn't answer, instead opting to grunt and shove past Rei, leaving the raven-haired boy to steam in his humiliation. Rei stayed, rooted to the spot, as his supposed body guards and guide each took a seat on the couch in the sitting room, beginning to chat idly in a language he didn't understand. He felt tears of frustration prickle at the backs of his eyes. Rei grabbed his bags and rushed off, claiming one of the rooms at random. Max worriedly followed his friend, casting dirty looks at the men lounging carelessly in front of the television.

~x~x~x~

**TBC...**

**A/N: **Alright, how was that? It's kinda short, but it can't be helped. I was up until 5:30 a.m yesterday working on ch. 5 of TsoLaR and it is now...nearly 3:30 in the morning. I originally wanted more to happen in this chapter, but I also wanted to get the next chapter up _tonight_. As I get more and more tired, I make progressively worse mistakes. ^-^;;; So, in the interest of quality, I deem this the perfect place to stop. hehe


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** Imperfect Countenance

**Author:** YaoiGoddessNekoJin

**Rating:** T

**Warnings:** Yaoi, Language, Violence, Implied Rape

**A/N:** Well, I was gonna update yesterday, but the site was down. Oh well, due to the wait, this chapter is a lot longer than the others. A lot of stuff happens as well. ^-^ I really like how this fic is turning out. It has kinda taken on a life of it's own. A special thanks goes out to everyone who reviewed and favorited (yeah...that's not a word, is it? hehe)/alerted this story. I really wouldn't be able to do it without you guys. =^-^=

_**Chapter III**_

Max walked over to the bed that Rei had crashed onto as soon as he entered the room. The red duffel bag that his things were packed in was thrown, haphazardly, into one of the corners. Max cautiously sat on the edge of the bed and reached out a pale hand to reassure the raven-haired boy. Rei, who's head was hidden in the crook of his elbow, sniffed slightly and looked up at his friend.

"Why do they have to be so rude?" he asked quietly.

"I don't know. I guess that's just the way they are." Max replied soothingly. Rei shifted, leaning against the wall, and pulled his knees up to his chest, hugging them close while resting his head on the top. He sighed forlornly and glanced sideways.

"Is it me? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, Rei, you didn't do _anything. _ Trust me on that one."

"Thanks Max." Rei said, smiling at the boy. Max returned the smile and slung an arm around him in a friendly hug.

"No problem."

~x~x~x~

In the hours that passed afterward, Rei and Max had stayed holed up in the bedroom, chatting and hanging out. The three men in the sitting room had, for the most part, remained silent, staring mindlessly at the television. It was around eleven o'clock by the time that Judy finally got back from dinner and, being tired, she began to get everyone situated for the night.

"Where are the other two?" she asked no one in particular. Tala just shrugged before answering.

"They're in one of the rooms over there." he answered and, though his voice was full of politeness, he motioned vaguely as his eyes never left the set in front of him. Judy just shook her head, amused, and walked to the other side of the room, knocking on the first door she came to.

"Boys, are you in there?" her only answer was the door swinging open to reveal her grinning son. She smiled, ruffling his hair.

"Why don't you and Rei come out here for a second?"

"Okay."

Once everyone was piled onto either chairs or the couch, Judy stood in front of them asking about the arrangements for the night.

"Alright, who's staying, who's leaving, and who's sleeping where?" Her question went unanswered for a moment before Rei piped up quietly.

"I guess I'll take the room Max and I were in." Tala glanced, boringly, in the the model's direction before turning ice-blue eyes back to Judy.

"Well," he began. "Seeing as I'm just an assistant, I'm going home. Mrs. Lebedev, however, wants one of these two in each of their rooms." he finished, motioning to Rei and Max while smirking at his scowling friends. Judy smiled, clasping her hands together.

"In that case, thank you for everything, Tala, and I guess we'll be seeing you tomorrow. Mr. Kuzentov, you can bunk with my son, and Mr. Hiwatari, you're with Rei. Okay everyone, off to bed."

~x~x~x~

Rei was in the adjoining bathroom, door locked, before Kai had even entered the bedroom. He leaned his back against the door and slid down to sit on the cold, tile floor. Rei heaved a sigh of unease, a sinking feeling settling in his stomach. Sometimes, he really _hated _it when he was right. He just knew he was going to look haggard for the first shoot tomorrow due to lack of sleep. There was no way he was going to be able to rest, having to keep an eye open for fear of being murdered in his sleep. _'I know they hate me. I just wish I knew why they hated me. Maybe...I don't know...maybe there's something I could do to fix it.' _Ever since he was a child, Rei always seemed to gravitate toward the role of peacemaker. He couldn't stand it when people were angry with him, or others for that matter, and always aspired to avoid conflict. These three, however, were so foreboding and...scary, for lack of a better word, that he wasn't sure he even wanted to _try _to become their friend. _'This is beginning to give me a headache.' _Rei thought, rubbing his temples and rising to his feet. He grabbed his bag from beside where he had been sitting and proceeded to change for bed.

~x~x~x~

Kai stalked into the room, slamming the door behind him, and looked around, resting his hands on his hips. He was going to _kill _Tala. Even though the bedroom was of impressive size for a hotel, there was only one bed. Granted, it was a very large, queen-sized bed, that didn't negate the fact that it was the only one. He knew that meant that he was going to be sleeping on the hard, uncomfortable floor, which would cause him to be sore and wake up in a foul mood in the morning. Vaguely noticing that light from the bathroom was seeping from under the door, Kai figured his _charge _was changing...or something...he really didn't care. Kai was in the process of making a palette on the floor when he heard the door creak open. He glanced over his shoulder when the sound of timid footsteps reached his ears. When crimson eyes fell on the boy entering the room, Kai's movements ceased momentarily. Out to all of the models he had worked with, the majority of them used any chance possible to show off their body. Rei, however, was dressed in an oversized shirt, that seemed to swallow his lithe frame whole, with Chinese writing on the front. Besides the shirt, he wore red boxers, that complimented his skin tone quite nicely, and had his lengthy, raven hair tied back in a loose ponytail so it _swooshed _around him when he moved. Even though he was dressed in such modest garb, Kai couldn't help but think that he looked absolutely stunning. This thought was only reinforced once he saw the light pink flush that colored tan cheeks. Apparently, he had been staring too long... Without a word, Kai turned back to what he was doing, silently berating himself for his actions and his unwelcome opinion of the other male. His hands didn't stop again until a small noise was made to grab his attention. He didn't turn around, but did motion to show he was listening.

"Um, you can have the bed. I'll sleep on the floor." Rei said softly. Kai just furrowed his brows and turned, confused, to the boy. Fearing Kai was about to try and argue, Rei hurriedly continued. "I'm sleeping on the floor, so you can either take the bed or we'll both be in the floor." To say that Kai was genuinely surprised would be an understatement. He was astonished. Here was this model, who he had presumed was just the same as every other stuck-up, spoiled brat he had ever met, offering to spend an uncomfortable night on the floor just so he wouldn't have to. Kai then said something that would have bewildered anyone who had ever known him.

"The bed is huge. There's plenty of room for both of us so, providing that you keep to your side, we can both sleep in it." Golden eyes widened almost comically at the less then than enthusiastic statement. He stood, rooted to the spot, until a glare from Kai had him jumping to pick up the blankets off of the floor.

Once everything was settled and both boys were in bed, Rei concentrated on the dark ceiling, reflecting over the past few hours. Kai and the others had seemed like real jerks to begin with, but now he wasn't quite sure. The last thing he had expected was for the bluenette to offer to share the bed with him. That thought made him blush; it sounded so...intimate. Rei was suddenly hyper-aware of the heat rolling off the body next to him. In response, _his _temperature seemed to be rising. His mind immediately turned to the moment when he had stepped out of the bathroom. He could have sworn that Kai had been staring at him, studying him. His current line of thought made his face darken further. He just couldn't understand why he was feeling like this. This sudden heat, the butterflies assaulting his stomach, none of it made a bit of sense to him. As his eyelids got heavier and heavier, Rei absently noticed how inviting the warmth beside him felt.

~x~x~x~

Bright sunlight filtered through the partially open curtains as the birds tweeted cheerfully in the treetops. Kai was the first to stir, moving his face further into the softness under his chin to shield his eyes from the morning's onslaught. He was surprised at how warm and comfortable he felt. Smelling the faint scent of lavender, Kai slowly blinked a few times, confused by the black mass in his field of vision. As his mind entered the world of the waking, he felt a weight in his arms. Perplexed, Kai lifted his head and looked down at what was _supposed_ to be the bed. Instead, the sight that met his eyes was a peaceful, sleeping Rei, curled up on his side and nestled into Kai's chest. There was a split second when Kai's entire body ceased to cooperate and he simply stared at the vision before him. By the time that he snapped out of his daze, astonished amber eyes were blinking blearily back at him. Proving to be just the push he needed, Kai let fury fill his eyes and proceeded to shove Rei off the other side of the bed. The raven-haired boy yelled in shock as he went flying, limbs scrambling for something to cling onto, and landed in an undignified heap on the floor. He lay there for a bit, gathering his bearings. He then shot to his feet, indignation making his eyes blaze.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Me? _You're _the one who was molesting _me!" _Kai bellowed, making Rei shirk back slightly from the force of the behind his voice. The raven-haired boy turned bright red at the implication Kai was making. He never got the chance to reply, however, as all of the yelling had successfully drawn the attention of the other inhabitants of the suite and the door flew open as Bryan rushed in, wild lavender eyes searching for an assailant. Judy and Max were behind the large man and only stepped into the room when they were sure that there were no attackers.

"What's going on?" Max asked, rushing over to Rei with worry evident in his blue eyes.

"Nothing." Rei answered briskly. "I'm going to get a shower." he continued, slamming the door on the way to the bathroom. Judy turned reproachful eyes to Kai as soon as the Chinese boy was out of the room.

"Kai, please try to be a little nicer to him. He's had it rough these past few years." she said sternly.

"What makes you think that I'm the problem here? Besides, I'm sure having to worry about whether or not you've gained a pound is _very _tiring." he snapped. Judy shot him a dirty look, which was doubled by Max.

"You are aware that I can have you fired, right?"

"Tch, like I need this job. I'm sick of it anyway." Kai, sure that he had won that battle, turned from the two blondes to start gathering what he would need for the day. He stilled, however, when the next words were spoken icily.

"I am very aware of your situation, Mr. Hiwatari. I don't think that your grandfather will be too pleased to hear that you've been harassing the boy that you're supposed to be protecting. I'm sure that he will be able to find someone far more deserving to leave that hefty inheritance to." And with that, Judy spun on her heel and left the room, Max trailing behind her. As soon as the door shut, Kai turned around, fire burning in crimson eyes, and threw the water glass, from the nightstand, at the door. He cursed loudly when the glass shattered and went to start picking up the pieces.

"Dammit!" Bryan took a step toward his angry friend, showing concern in his own way.

"Look, Kai-" the lilac-haired man began, but was abruptly cut off by Kai.

"No, don't. Just..." he trailed off. When Kai was finished with the glass shards, he stood and walked over to the wastebasket, dropping them in. By that time, Bryan decided he would try again.

"Kai, she doesn't know anything; none of them do. Just, don't listen to her."

"I know that, Bryan. I-" he paused for a second. "_I _know what _rough _times are, a lesson I won't soon forget." he said, disdain from past memories filling his voice. Both Russians jerked to attention when the bathroom door creaked open. Rei stepped out, steam billowing from behind him. He was completely dressed for the day, except for his hair, which was tied up in a fluffy, white towel. As Rei walked toward his bag, that laid in the far corner of the room, Bryan gave Kai a look before leaving. The bluenette just huffed, stomping into the bathroom.

~x~x~x~

Rei was still angry for what had transpired when he and Kai woke up that morning. Not that he was angry about how they had woken up, but about the way the surly bodyguard had treated him afterward. His back was still aching from the way he had landed on the floor. Rei had actually enjoyed waking up this morning; a thought which surprised him immensely. He had felt...safe, something that he hadn't had in a long time. When his parents had died, it was as if a rug had been pulled from under his feet. He suddenly found himself completely and utterly alone in the world. Sure, he had friends, but it wasn't quite the same as having a family to turn to. He had always taken the fact that he had a strong support system for granted before his parents passed. With them gone, that system had completely crumbled and he found himself seeking acceptance and adoration from complete strangers. He yearned for someone he could fall back to and could count on to help keep him steady. Great, he wasn't feeling so hot now. _'I guess wallowing in misery will do that to a person.' _

After Rei was out of the shower and dressed, he began the process of wrapping his hair in a towel when he picked up on slight murmurs from the other side of the door. He stepped closer, pressing an ear against the humid surface, so that he could hear what was being said.

"_Kai, she doesn't know anything; none of them do. Just, don't listen to her."_

"_I know that, Bryan. I-"_ there was a slight pause. "I _know what _rough _times are, a lesson I won't soon forget." _

This intrigued Rei. What could they possibly be talking about? And, why did _Sir Ice Man _sound so sad...so miserable? With more questions then he had had at the beginning of his shower, Rei exited the bathroom. He noticed the odd glance Bryan threw at Kai before he left. Rei decided to keep his head down and head to his bag, the combination of nerves and his thoughts swirling around in his head had him feeling sick to his stomach. As he heard another door close behind him, he figured it would be best to put drying his hair on hold, instead padding across the plush carpet, intent in going to the kitchenette for breakfast. His plans were thwarted, however, when a sharp pain made him gasp and pull his foot up off of the ground.

"Ouch!" he exclaimed, looking for what had caused the pain. There was a medium-sized shard of glass that had imbedded itself in the bottom of his foot. Rei nimbly hopped on one leg toward the bed and sat on the edge. Since there wasn't anybody in sight and he didn't want to look like a wimp, Rei figured he would pick the shard out himself. He bit his lip when he began to pull it and it started stinging. The more he loosened it, the more blood welled up under it, until, a tiny, crimson stream ran down his heel. The effect it had on Rei was immediate. He felt lightheaded and the world around him began to spin. That insistent urge to empty his stomach returned with a vengeance and black spots danced before his eyes. Rei used both hands to cling desperately to the bed covers when he felt sure that he was going to pass out. The one thing that Rei had never told anyone outside his village was that he had been with his parents when they died.

_On that fateful day, they had all three been on their way home after scaling further up in the mountains to see the old medicine man who called it his home. Rei had been feeling a little sick and the healer in their village was unable to find anything wrong with him. They had spent the entire day trekking up the mountain and visiting with the old man and, by the time they finally left, the sun was beginning to set. As they were walking on a particularly narrow path, Rei's foot slipped on a loose rock and he felt himself falling over the edge of the severe drop. Being the first to react, Rei's father grabbed his son's arm in an iron grip. While looking at his father with terror-filled golden eyes, Rei's mother leaned down to grab his other arm. They began to hoist him up, only stopping when a loud _crack _rang throughout the air. All three pairs of eyes widened in a moment when everything seemed to move in slow motion and, once time resumed, all hell broke loose. The entire area of rock that the Kon family had been perched on broke off and all three fell to the unforgiving ground below, a landslide hot on their heels. Rei, himself, had lost consciousness, for how long, he didn't know, and the first thing he was aware of was the weight on his chest. He cautiously opened up his eyes and let out a horrified scream when he came face to face with the dull, lifeless eyes of his mother. He scrambled to get out from under her body and soon realized that he had been on top of his father, who was dead as well. His panicked mind began to put the pieces together as crystal tears flowed down his dirt-covered face. His father had used his own body to break Rei's fall and his mother had used hers to shield him from the rocks. They had protected him. His parents had sacrificed their lives to save his. It was all his fault. And the blood... As if just noticing the vast amounts of blood covering his parents, the ground, and himself, Rei turned to the side and vomited. _

Rei had been there with his parents' bodies for another three hours before anyone found him. Ever since that day, Rei had had a severe phobia of blood, fainting every time he saw any. Rei brought a hand to his face, his vision darkening at the edges, and realized that he was crying. He had no idea when the tears had started, though. Just as Rei was about lay down and succumb to the overwhelming feelings, the bathroom door opened and Kai came out. At first, he looked at Rei as if he were crazy, then, noticing the tears, walked over to see what the problem was. He knelt on the floor in front of the boy and looked at the foot he had propped up.

"Oh, come on. You can't be _that_ much of a baby." he said in annoyance. Rei didn't respond at all, sightless eyes staring into the distance. Kai began to worry when he saw how ashen the boy's face was. He decided to go ahead and remove the glass in Rei's foot, feeling slightly guilty that he had been the one to cause the accident. Once the shard was out, Kai grabbed a tissue from the box on the nightstand and put it on the bleeding spot, putting gentle pressure on it. When he had effectively staunched the blood flow, Kai turned his attention to getting the boy's mind to snap out of its daze. He brought his hands up and placed them gently on Rei's cheeks, wiping the tears away with his calloused thumbs.

"Rei." he called quietly. When the amber eyes focused once more and turned to him, Kai continued speaking. "What happened." When Rei spoke, it was disconnected and spacey.

"I...glass...blood...my parents..." he stopped as he broke down, sobs wracking his small frame. Dumbfounded, the only thing Kai could do was reach up and wrap his arms around the boy, pulling him into the comfort of his arms.

~x~x~x~

**TBC...**

**A/N: **I just _had _to throw in some fluffiness at the end. And, we learn a little more and have a few more questions. Until next time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title:** Imperfect Countenance

**Author:** YaoiGoddessNekoJin

**Rating:** T

**Warnings:** Yaoi, Language, Violence, Implied Rape

**A/N:** Okey dokie, I have a new chapter. This one should prove to be quite eventful. ^-^ I am sorry for the delay in getting an update done. The other day was my b-day and I kinda slacked off for a bit. Also, thanks again to everybody who is reviewing my story. It makes me smile! ^-^ A special thanks goes out to Map of the Stars and IcePrincessMoonFaerie who have reviewed every chapter thus far. You guys rock and your reviews amuse me. I look forward to them each time. XD I'm so glad that people seem to be liking this story so far and I really hope that this chapter doesn't disappoint. Enjoy!

_**Chapter IV**_

After Rei's little melt-down, there was still about an hour left before they all had to be at the studio. Kai, unsure how to deal with the inconsolable boy, had pulled them both onto the bed, claiming that it would simply be easier on his own back. For the next couple of minutes, they sat in pensive silence, Kai with his back against the headboard with Rei leaning against his chest. When the sniffles had all but subsided, Kai glanced down, unintentionally meeting the boy's puffy eyes.

"Are you going to tell me what that was all about?" the bluenette asked. Rei hesitated for a moment, thinking his answer through carefully.

"I-I...um...it was nothing." he finished quietly, trying in vain to hide his face from prying crimson eyes. Kai just continued to stare at Rei, eyes seeming to peer into the Chinese boy's very soul.

"Rei." he said sternly. He really didn't know why he was pushing the boy so hard. It wasn't like he actually _cared _or anything. No, the only people he cared about were Tala and Bryan. They had been his closest friends since they were all children and they were more of a family to him than his _grandfather _was. Kai had learned at a young age that the only person that you could trust and depend on was yourself. His two best friends had been the only ones to ever gain his trust and, even then, he was wary. But now, here he was, trying to actually help somebody else. It would almost be laughable, if it weren't so pathetic. Well, maybe that wasn't entirely true. Over the past few hours, Kai had been growing quite fond of Rei. That was part of the reason he had been lashing out so much, not that he was pleasant to begin with. These feelings that had, only recently, been making themselves known scared the living daylights out of him. The thing he was afraid of most, though, was becoming weak. Because, in the end, that was what these types of feelings always led to. The only option was to push away any possible threat. Which was exactly why the fact that he couldn't seem to help but comfort Rei unnerved him so much. Kai suddenly realized that he had been zoning out when he heard Rei begin to speak.

"Um...well...a few years ago, I watched my parents die..." As Rei told his tragic story, Kai sat, captivated by the tale. It was almost like watching a train wreck. You knew you should look away, but _something _made you just stand there and keep staring like an idiot. He never imagined that the rough time in Rei's life would have been anything this horrific. Even though he tried hard to fight it, he felt himself begin to feel terrible about the way he had been treating the other. Kai knew he had a problem, but, until now, he never had a reason to try and control his anger.

~x~x~x~

Rei had never been held the way Kai was holding him now. He had really never been that close to anyone, besides his parents, of course. But, even amongst his small circle of friends, there wasn't anyone who seemed to want to make an effort to get closer to him, so he just let it be. He wouldn't attempt to force a stronger bond on anyone. Which was why, even though this man was brash, rude, and violent, Rei found himself wanting to know more about him. He wanted to tell the bluenette about his life and learn about the other's life in return. On the one hand, he was reluctant to say anything because he wanted to avoid bearing his soul to the arrogant prick. He didn't want Kai to feel obligated to feel sorry for him or treat him differently due to the events of his past. If Kai was going to be nicer to him he wanted it to be because he _wanted _to. On the flip-side, however, he desperately craved to just get it out; to be able to trust someone so deeply that he felt completely at ease telling them his darkest secret. Maybe he wasn't able to put much confidence in Kai at the moment, but, hopefully, sharing his story would put his mind at east; for the moment, anyway.

~x~x~x~

It took Rei about half an hour to get through the whole story. He had vaguely noticed that, as he continued telling his tale, Kai's arms had gradually tightened around his waist. As he reached the end, he lay his head down on the strong chest behind him and let out a woeful sigh. One of the Russian's pale hands moved up to smooth down his, somewhat messy, black hair. Rei looked up in astonishment at the, surprisingly gentle, touch. He never imagined Kai could touch _anything _so tenderly. As he peered up through inky bangs, he saw an emotion he didn't recognize swirling in crimson eyes. Not a second later, he could feel a small puff of warm breath on his face as firm lips descended upon his own. Rei's eyes widened in shock, his brain scrambling hysterically for an answer to what was happening. Why was Kai kissing him? His thought process totally ceased when the hand that had previously been in his hair, slowly moved to the side of his face. Chills ran through Rei's frame when Kai's thumb caressed his cheek. The kiss was chaste and lasted until both of them _needed _air. When they pulled apart, both of their faces were flushed and they were breathing heavily. Rei smiled softly, causing Kai to do the same, and didn't utter a word as he lay his head back on Kai's chest. He sighed happily when a hand moved back to his hair and continued its petting. Rei felt his eyes droop, emotionally exhausted by everything that had occurred that morning. The motion of the hand proved successful in lulling him to sleep within minutes; his sleep, for once, not haunted by dark images of death and desperation.

~x~x~x~

Not too long after their exchange, there came a knock at the door. It was time to leave for the studio. After Kai woke Rei, he didn't say another word. They were now all piled in the limo, about fifteen minutes from their destination, and the unpredictable man still hadn't spoken. Kai was too busy participating in an internal battle to acknowledge the people around him. He was currently wondering if he was dying. The insanity brought on by throes of death _could _explain his recent behavior. This was so unlike him. He was Kai Hiwatari, for goodness' sake. Hiwataris didn't randomly develop _feelings _for anybody! And yet, he could sense that he was starting to foster...affection for Rei. As much as he disliked it and as much as he tried to fight it, he knew that there would be no escaping it; only acceptance. Kai glanced at Rei using his peripheral vision. Those liquid gold eyes, that shining raven hair, his _soft _tanned skin, who would be able to resist that? He was decidedly failing in that endeavor. Kai abruptly turned his attention to the man sitting in front of him when he felt eyes boring into his head. Bryan shot him a questioning look when their eyes met. Kai just shook his head, as if silently saying, _'later' _and turned his gaze back to the scenery, beyond the glass barrier, just when the limo slowed to a stop.

~x~x~x~

Rei exited the vehicle, feeling less than exuberant about doing his job today. Kai hadn't said one word to him since they had kissed and it was really beginning to bug him. What if he regretted it? What if he did it, not because he liked Rei, but because he felt obligated to? All of these unanswered questions and 'what ifs' were taking their toll on his sanity. He, honestly, didn't think that he would be able to get in front of the cameras and act like there wasn't anything wrong; especially with Kai there. Rei set his jaw, clenching his teeth, and walked into the building.

The photo shoot had, actually, gone far better than he thought it would. The photographer had been insanely happy with Rei and his 'natural talent' as he called it. He hadn't even been worrying about Kai, seeing as he had been absent the entire time. Actually, come to think of it, Tala and Bryan had also been missing. Rei's curiosity was mildly piqued by the situation, but he put it out of his mind for the moment. After the shoot, Judy talked with the cameraman and arranged plans for the following day. Max walked up to Rei, a huge grin on his face.

"Rei, you were great!" he said, making Rei duck his head in bashfulness.

"Thank you, Max." A sudden rumble sounded from his stomach, reminding him that he never did make it to breakfast that morning. "Hey, you wanna go check out the catering?"

"Sure." They both made their way to the long table, that held a variety of foods, and began filling up their plates. When they were finished, they went to one of the corners of the room and stood there, eating and chatting. Max cast Rei a funny look when he paused, finger sandwich half-way to his mouth and staring at something beyond his shoulder. Rei was...confused, to say the least, at the sight that greeted him. Well, needless to say, he found Tala and Bryan. They had just re-entered the main room from one of the doorways on the opposite side of the studio. They both looked quite disheveled, Tala more so than Bryan. Tala was trying to smooth out his unruly hair, a flushed look on his face. Bryan, for all of his...stoicismwas only slightly better than the redhead. The lavender-haired man's clothes were more wrinkled than they had been earlier in the day and he wore a smug, sated look. As his brain slowly put the pieces together, Rei found himself blushing darkly. Tala and Bryan? Bryan and Tala? No...surely not...right?

"Rei, what's the matter?" Max inquired, head tilted slightly. Rei turned back to the blonde, just missing the matching smirks that were sent his way. Tala let his eyes slide to the man beside him.

"So, what do you think about him?" he asked his companion. Bryan shot the redhead a strange look.

"What brought that up?"

"I don't know...its just, Kai seems different today. It's like that boy sparked some internal debate and I was wondering what kind of vibe _you _got from him." Bryan appeared to actually give this some thought before answering.

"Well, he's far too easy to pick on. Aside from that, though, he's exactly the kind of person we were warned about. He may seem kind and naive, but he's probably just being deceptive to throw us off guard." Tala just '_hmm-ed' _in response, face slightly pensive as they both approached the subject of their discussion. When both boys in front of them turned, Tala's expression was quickly replaced with a sly look once more.

"Hey there." he said smoothly. Bryan rolled his eyes at the man's antics. Rei fidgeted with his sleeves for a moment before answering.

"H-hi. Hey, Tala. U-um, what were you guys up to?" As soon as the question left Rei's mouth, he knew it had been a bad idea. That thought was only confirmed when both men smirked quite evilly. Tala threw an arm around Bryan's shoulders and turned, pressing his body firmly against the taller man's side.

"What do you _think _we were doing?" he purred. Rei's face heated up again and he tried to look anywhere but at the two.

"R-right." he stumbled over his words. "W-w-well, have e-either of you s-seen Kai?" Tala looked at Rei in surprise, though none of it showed on his face.

"Why do you want to know?"

"I was just wondering. I haven't seen him since we got here and he hasn't spoken to me since we left the hotel." The change in subject gave Rei the confidence he needed to speak with the redhead without stuttering. Tala looked at Bryan and they both raised a brow.

"Why would he have a reason to make small talk with _you_? This is just a job, not some vacation. None of us are here to make any friends." Rei was stung by Tala's words. Sure, they had been sort of mean to him, but Rei was the kind of person who _tried _to always look for the best in people. Besides, out of all three Russians, Tala had seemed like the most amicable. _'I guess that just goes to show that you can't always read people correctly.'_ he thought to himself.

"Hey! Don't be so rude!" Max piped up, startling Rei. The raven-haired boy turned to look at Max like he was crazy, though with an underlying sense of gratitude. He chanced a nervous look at the other two, kind of expecting them to murder the blonde. When they did nothing more than glare, Rei sighed in relief then grabbed Max's arm, dragging him away before he could endanger himself further. When the got far enough away from Tala and Bryan, Rei stopped walking and released the boy's arm.

"Thanks for standing up for me, Max, but you need to be careful around those guys." Rei said seriously. Max just grinned at him.

"I'm not scared of them. Those guys act really tough, but they're not _that _bad."

"How do _you_ know that?" as soon as the words left Rei's mouth, Max began to look very sheepish and nervous. He fiddled with his hands for a moment before turning big, blue eyes back to Rei.

"Well...I...sort of heard Bryan talking to Tala on the phone last night. He thought I was asleep."

"W-what was he saying?"

"Not too much, but they are surprisingly loving towards each other. From what I could tell, the three of them have known each other for a long time. He was also telling Tala that someone hired by Kai's grandfather has been following them. I think he said his name was Boris."

"Do you know why?" Max shook his head.

"No, but, from what I gathered, he's the only family Kai has left. I don't think he's a very nice man, though." While Rei's mind was churning with this new information, something seemed to catch Max's eye and, with a wave, he ran off. _'So, Tala and Bryan really are together. I wonder why they don't seem to like people that much. Could it have anything to do with Kai's grandfather?'_ Rei managed to completely block out the rest of the world as he thought about the Russian trio. He wanted to know why there would be someone following them. His mind eventually turned to Kai, though. He wondered why the bluenette hadn't spoken to him since that morning. Why did Kai even kiss him if he was just going to act like nothing happened? Rei felt strangely hurt by that. He didn't completely understand why yet, but he wouldn't be opposed to a repeat performance. Something about the man intrigued and mystified him. But the question still remained, did Kai kiss him because he was developing the same sort of feelings for Rei? Or, did he do it because it was just a one-time whim? Rei became so wrapped up in his own little world, that he never noticed that the person he had been looking for entered the room. It wasn't until a shrill giggle and a flash of blue caught his eye that he turned to look. His eyes lit up and he smiled when he saw Kai, however, the smile soon faded at the sight that met his eyes. Attached to Kai's arm was a bleach-blonde girl, who Rei swiftly recognized as one of the photographer's assistants. She was laughing at something Kai had said, batting her mascara-caked eyelashes in what she thought was a flirtatious manner. Rei felt his eyes stinging slightly at the way Kai was looking at her. It was like he was enjoying being with her. And, when she rose up on her tiptoes and pressed her gaudy, pink lips to Kai's, Rei felt like a weight was crushing his chest. So, that was it, wasn't it? He had just been playing with Rei the whole time. Rei had told Kai, the first person he _had_ told, about his parents and it had all been a...a..._joke._ Suddenly, he felt like a fool. He felt _used._ Having the strong urge to get out, Rei startled everyone by taking off running. He ran out of the studio, ignoring the calls for him to stop, and kept going, tears beginning to roll down his face.

~x~x~x~

By the time Rei had stopped running, he was gasping for breath. It had gotten dark and he had no idea where he was. He started shivering when he felt the first droplets of icy rain hit his skin. Rei kept walking, knowing that if he stopped now, his feet would begin to ache and he wouldn't want to continue. His tears, that were still falling down his face, created a warm sensation as their heat mingled with the rain's cold. He couldn't believe he was so stupid. He was getting worked up over nothing. Of course Kai didn't like him, he had been nothing but mean since they had met. But, Rei had still hoped. That kiss had felt so _right_ and he couldn't ignore the feelings that it had stirred up. Kai probably thought he was an idiot for acting like such a child. He, Tala, and Bryan were probably laughing at him right now. Rei didn't want to stay in New York any longer. He just wanted to go back to Japan, go to his apartment, and never come out.

Rei didn't realize that he was being followed until he heard the scrape of asphalt behind him. He tried to turn, but felt a sharp pain in the back of his head. Spots began dancing in front of his eyes and someone grabbed his hair, hauling him into a nearby alley. Still dazed, Rei wasn't able to put up much of a fight when he was slammed against the brick wall of the dark, dank alleyway. He was, however, able to finally see who his attacker was. Rei's entire body began trembling in fear when he looked into the evil, inky eyes of the middle-aged man in front of him. The man had cropped, brown hair and was tall, easily towering over the Chinese boy. The lecherous grin on his face made Rei's stomach churn violently. He suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to vomit. The man leaned into Rei's face and whispered in his ear.

"You don't know how long I've waited to meet you like this." After that, it was as if the floodgates burst. The man wrapped a large hand around Rei's neck, easily throwing him to the ground. Rei grunted in pain when his already sore head made rough contact with the hard ground. He was in a near panic now and he tried to scramble backwards and away from the menacing figure. The man just laughed at the boy's efforts at escape. He then lowered himself to the ground and sat on Rei's legs so that the boy could no longer move. Rei was more scared in that moment than he had ever been in his entire life. He was completely at this maniac's mercy. His amber eyes snapped open when he felt his shirt being removed. The boy was unable to hold back his tears and, for the second time that night, he broke down. He vaguely noticed that the man had a knife when he felt the slight metallic bite as the knife was used to cut his clothes away. Rei shivered when the man leaned down and licked the shell of his ear.

"Shh. Don't cry. Just enjoy yourself." he said gruffly.

~x~x~x~

To say that Max was worried would be the understatement of the year. Rei had just up and ran off and he still hadn't come back yet. It had been several hours and now the sun had set and it was raining. In the months that Max had known the boy, nothing like this had ever happened. The blonde was pacing the hotel room, wringing his hands. Judy had sent him back a couple of hours prior while she and Bryan were out looking for his errant friend. He was ripped from his thoughts as the other two Russians entered the room, scowls on both their faces. Max gave them a questioning look.

"I don't see what all of the fuss is about. He just left for a while." said Kai, throwing his wet jacket on the floor. Max glared before stalking over to the two.

"The _fuss _is because this isn't like Rei. He's never done anything like this before."

"Well, there's a first time for everything." Tala chimed in.

"Did you even bother looking at his face as he ran out? He was devastated. Something was wrong and he was upset. We have to find him! I have a really bad feeling about this." Kai sighed, admitting, only to himself, that Max was right. There was definitely something wrong and it was all his fault. The only reason that he had responded to that girl's affections was because he was trying to prove to himself that he _wasn't_ beginning to like Rei. He hadn't _intended _for the boy to see them, but, once he noticed Rei's attention, he had played it up, going so far as to let the girl kiss him. When he had seen the look on Rei's face as he ran out of the studio, Kai had felt like running after the boy. He soon decided against it, though, his mind telling him that he shouldn't. He was now regretting that decision.

~x~x~x~

Rei was cold, shivering, and hurting. He couldn't believe what had just happened was real. Rei had never been intimate with anyone before and that made his experience all the more traumatizing. The man had been rough. Rei knew that he was bleeding, could feel its warmth against his frozen skin. His voice was raw from trying to yell out for help and screaming in pain. His breathing was shallow and he knew that he probably had a few broken ribs. He felt dirty, like he had been tarnished and was less human for it. How was he supposed to face anyone now? Just when Rei had been praying that the man who had done this to him had left, he heard shoes scraping against the ground. He turned his head slightly, looking up with dull eyes. The man, now fully dressed, stood over Rei with the previously discarded knife in his hand. A flash of renewed fear shot through him, causing his entire body to jerk in pain.

"Now, now, don't be scared. I'm just making sure that no one else can have you." Rei closed his eyes when the man brought the knife down toward him, slashing across his face. He yelled out weakly and turned his head away as slash after slash was made over the expanse of his body. What seemed like an eternity later, Rei dimly heard the receding footsteps as he was finally left alone. He felt numb and like he was floating, but his body felt leaden when he tried to move. As Rei was left to die, the warm, crimson pool under him ever-growing, he welcomed the darkness that fell over him.

~x~x~x~

**TBC...**

**A/N:** Gasp!


	5. Chapter 5

**Title:** Imperfect Countenance

**Author:** YaoiGoddessNekoJin

**Rating:** T

**Warnings:** Yaoi, Language, Violence, Implied Rape

**A/N:** Aaaaaannnnd, Chapter 5! I'm really happy that I've been updating this so much faster than any of my other stories! I'm not usually this good about getting fics done. I've kind of neglected TSoLaR in favor of getting this fic finished. ^-^;;; But, I'll work on this while the ideas are buzzing around in my head and work on the other one at a later point in time. Thanks bunches to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter! I'm really glad you guys are enjoying my story.

Pratik Roy : Yeah...the only problem with that is that I really, really, reeeaaally don't like any of the chicks in Beyblade. If you wanna get right down to it, sticking strictly with Kai from the series, he wouldn't be caught dead with any of those girls. I think it's kind of funny that you suggested Kai and Mariah. Out of all the girls in Beyblade, Mariah is the one I despise the most. She's too annoying and way too whiny. _ I'm_ a huge Kai fan as well. Kai and Rei are my two favorite characters in the entire series and I think they compliment each other quite nicely. I've been into Kai and Rei as a pairing since I was in 8th grade and can't imagine him being with anyone else. (Well, except maybe Tala or Bryan. Those three and Rei are pretty interchangeable in my opinion. ^-^) Anyway, the pairing is clearly posted in the summary and one of the warnings is for yaoi. I'm not trying to trick anyone into reading this story. If you don't like it, don't read it. I do appreciate your apology at the end of your review, though. Your flames shall be used to cook s'mores. ^-^

Well, enjoy!

_**Chapter V**_

Tala wasn't worried. No, he definitely wasn't worried. He just...enjoyed pacing... Ah hell, Tala _was_ worried. He was beside himself. He hadn't slept at all the previous night, opting instead to stay near the phone. He knew he and his friends had been teasing the Chinese boy, that had seemed alien, he was so naive, but that didn't mean that they wanted anything _bad_ to happen to him. This city wasn't the place for someone like Rei to wander around alone in. Tala knew, first hand, how dangerous this city could be, especially at night. The redhead sighed in frustration, running a pale hand through his hair. He knew Kai and Bryan hadn't slept all night either. They were both in the room that Kai and Rei had been sharing, dealing with their apprehension in their own ways. After Judy and Bryan's search had turned up diddly, they had returned to the hotel, hoping that Rei would eventually show up. Well, he hadn't. Tala had even called the police station to file a missing person's report, but Kai had to hang up the phone on his ranting when the officer told him that they couldn't do anything unless Rei had been missing for forty-eight hours.

"_IT COULD BE TOO LATE BY THEN!"_ he had shouted.

They had all went their separate ways, hoping that nothing had happened and that Rei would meander back in, clueless as ever. Tala sat down in one of the chairs at the kitchen bar and put his head in his hands. He was really starting to regret everything he had said to the boy.

~x~x~x~

Kai was about to go insane. At first, when Rei hadn't shown back up at the hotel, he had thought that his behavior had sent the boy packing. When he arrived to see that all of Rei's things were still there, untouched, he had quickly abandoned that idea. He hadn't really started freaking out until Rei's manager and Bryan had returned, empty handed. Well, he sort of wished they were empty handed. Bryan had pulled him aside and they went into his room to talk.

"_What is it Bryan?" he asked as the lilac-haired man closed the bedroom door. Bryan turned to look at Kai, an unreadable expression in his eyes._

"_I didn't want Tala to hear this. He's already so worked up..." he trailed off. Kai felt white-hot fear jolt throughout his body._

"_What is it Bryan?" he repeated, almost desperately. Lilac eyes met crimson as the taller of the two reached into his pocket and pulled something shiny out. A tiny glint caught Kai's eye as the light reflected in the golden surface of the trinket. Bryan handed it to Kai for him to examine. It was a small, golden heart, that the bluenette soon realized as a locket. It was on a long, delicate chain. Kai opened the locket and, inside, he saw a picture of a happy-looking man and woman. Both had familiar raven hair, the woman's well past her shoulders. The man had dark amber eyes and, as Kai looked back at the woman, he was met with the same eyes that Rei possessed._

"_It's Rei's. I'm assuming those are his parents." Bryan wasn't telling him anything he didn't already know deep down, but when the painful clench in his chest made him wince, he tried to deny it. It was as if he thought that, by _thinking_ it wasn't true, then it wouldn't be and Kai would wake up to find that all of this was nothing more than a bad dream._

"_How do you know?"_

"_I saw him wearing it at the studio. The outfit they had him change into had a deeper cut neckline than anything I've seen him in."_

"_Where did you find it?"_

"_It was on one of the streets we searched. I looked all around the area, but didn't find anything else. Judy doesn't know about the necklace either." Kai felt icy dread settle into his core, worst case scenarios playing on loop in his mind's eye. Where could Rei be? What happened to him? A moment later, they both started when they heard the sound of Tala yelling._

~x~x~x~

Detective Hiro Granger sighed as he filed away another cold case. Were they ever going to solve any of these? It had been a slow day and his department had been put to work looking at cases that had gone cold years ago. It seemed like every time he turned around, though, that stack grew more and more. He had decided to become a detective so that he could help people, but it seemed like the criminals were outsmarting them more often each day. Hiro jumped slightly when the door to the squad room banged open. He whirled around and came face to face with his red-faced and panting partner and lover. Any other time, Hiro would have liked this look on the younger man. The worry and urgency that filled the his teal eyes, however, put his entire body on alert.

"What's the matter, Brooklyn?" he asked in concern, setting down the files in his hand and walking over to the orange-haired man. Brooklyn looked up at him, speaking once he caught his breath.

"Hiro, we've gotta go. A boy was attacked down near sixth street. He's been taken to the hospital and, I haven't heard from the doctors treating him, but the paramedics said he didn't look good." Now understanding his partner's need for urgency, Hiro grabbed his jacket from his desk and they were both out the door.

~x~x~x~

After trying to get in to see the boy, who was still unconscious, Hiro and Brooklyn had tried to find out if the boy had had an ID on him. The only thing he ended up having was a Chinese identification card. Brooklyn had always prided himself for wanting to learn as many languages as possible, even though Hiro had said most of them were useless, and now enjoyed shoving that in his lover's face when he turned out to be the only one able to read the card. Once they found out the boy's name, Rei Kon, it hadn't been to hard for them to find where he was staying the following day. So, as they both stood outside of the hotel, looking up at all of the gleaming squares, Hiro reached over and gave Brooklyn's hand a short squeeze. This had always been the hardest part of the job. Telling people that someone they cared about was injured or dead was something that neither of them would ever get used to.

~x~x~x~

"Tala, a word?" Tala looked up at Bryan when he was addressed, blue eyes inquisitive. He followed the man into the bedroom, sitting on the bed.

"Yeah?" he asked. Bryan just closed the door and walked over, sitting beside Tala and wrapping an arm around him. Needing the comfort, Tala leaned into the broad chest and sighed. "Why am I so worried over this?"

"I don't know. I guess he just grew on us." As soon as the words left Bryan's mouth, Tala drew back and stared at the man in astonished skepticism.

"In a _day_?" he exclaimed.

"Think about it Tal. None of us have ever had anyone around who wasn't trying to use us to gain something. We've pushed and pushed and pushed, but Rei hasn't _really _lashed out at us at all. He's just a genuinely kind person. And it seems that he's managed to melt his way through the ice and invade a part of our hearts that we've only opened to each other; Kai more so than you and I. That's an incredible feat considering our pasts and how fast he's done it." Tala just stared at Bryan for a moment before snuggling back under his arm.

"Did I ever tell you why I love you?" he asked, smiling gently.

"'Cause I'm sexy?" Bryan responded, smirk evident in his voice. Tala lightly swatted the lilac-haired man's stomach, trying hard to control his laughter.

"No! Although, that was a contributing factor. I love you because you're so damn intuitive and kind-hearted. When you and I first met, I didn't like you. I had the same reaction most people have to all three of us. I thought you were just a mean and spiteful person, but that's so far from the truth. It may take a while to get through to any of us, but once I got past your defenses, I realized you're just a big teddy bear!" Bryan rolled his eyes and placed a gentle kiss on top of Tala's head.

"I love you, too."

~x~x~x~

Kai made his way over to the hotel's wet bar in search of some vodka. He knew that Tala and Bryan needed a chance to talk to each other and he needed some way to occupy his time. Finding what he was looking for, Kai pulled out three glasses, half-filling each one. His friends would appreciate that when they were finished. Crimson eyes slid to the clock on the wall, taking meticulous note of how many hours had passed. Liquid fire slid down his throat and Kai closed his eyes in pleasurable comfort. His mind had been doing somersaults since this whole fiasco began. Just as the bedroom door cracked open to reveal his friends, there was a knock at the door. Feeling a sense of trepidation, Kai walked to the door and unhooked the chain. He swung the door open, revealing a tall, azure-haired man and a shorter, orange-haired man. He found himself staring into teal and chocolate orbs. The taller of the two reached into his pocket, pulling out what was soon revealed as a badge. Fear clenched Kai's heart as the man introduced the two.

"Good morning. I'm Detective Hiro Granger and this is my partner, Detective Brooklyn Kingston from the NYPD. Do you know anyone by the name of Rei Kon?" Kai nodded numbly and Tala and Bryan rushed over to flank his sides at the mention of the raven-haired boy's name. When nobody spoke, Hiro took that as his sign to continue. "I'm sorry to have to inform you that Mr. Kon was assaulted last night. He's currently in the ICU at New York-Presbyterian. We'll take you there, but then we're going to need to ask you a few questions." Hiro waited for a reaction from the three, but was sorely disappointed when all he received were three carefully masked stares. Bryan, seeing that Kai wasn't going to budge, made his way into the other bedroom to get Judy and Max. Both freaked out, as expected, and emotions were running high, choking the air, as they drove to the hospital.

~x~x~x~

Rei groaned in pain as he slowly regained consciousness. He attempted to bring a hand up to his head to try and ease the headache pounding in his brain only to be stopped by a slight pinch in his hand. Looking down, he blinked blearily at the small, plastic tube attached to his skin. For a moment, Rei wondered where he could possibly be. Then, like lightning, the memories of what happened before he passed out seared through his mind. Tears immediately sprang to the golden eyes and his face heated up in shame. _'My face!'_ he suddenly thought, other hand flying up to check it. Dread and anguish settled icily in the pit of his stomach as the felt the bandages wrapped from the top of the left side of his face and down to his jaw on the right side. The hot tears finally broke free of their confines and were almost immediately sucked up, thirstily, by the cotton bandaging. This couldn't be happening! This was his only shot to make something of himself. Now his hopes had been slashed down by a steely, glinting knife. No magazine was going to want to hire him now, with a hideous scar on his face. Finally breaking down completely, Rei's entire body was wracked with harsh sobs, pain erupting in flashes every time his frame shook.

~x~x~x~

Once they had arrived at the hospital, there was no stopping the small band of worried people as they made their way through the white, sterile walls. Hiro and Brooklyn were keeping a respectful distance behind the group, subtly flashing their badges whenever it appeared a nurse of doctor was going to give them trouble. Kai's head whipped around when they all stopped outside of the intensive care room that was marked 'R. Kon,' looking for a nurse when he noticed the blinds were drawn. At the sight of the group, an older woman with silvering hair walked over, a kind smile on her weathered face.

"May I help you?" she asked. Before Kai had a chance to answer, though, Tala quickly stepped around him.

"We're here to see Rei Kon." At the mention of the boy's name, sympathy filled the woman's eyes. Kai vaguely heard Max's sharp intake of breath at the look, fearing the worst.

"He's still unconscious. Let me go get his doctor and he will fill you in on all the details." They all nodded, mutely, watching her go. Kai turned and looked at the others that were with him. He noticed the two detectives were currently occupying a couple of uncomfortable-looking chairs a ways down the hall. Judy was worriedly biting at her lower lip, grasping Max's shoulder in a white-knuckled grip. Crimson eyes then traveled down to the blonde boy, noticing the tears barely being held back as he inspected the tile floor. Bryan and Tala had moved to lean against the wall, their postures rigid. Their shoulders were barely brushing and, to anyone who didn't know the two, it would simply appear to be a coincidence. Kai, however, knew it was a gesture of comfort from one to the other, each man drawing strength from the tiny touch. The bluenette, himself, had been clenching and unclenching his fists as the short moments the nurse had been gone seemed to drag on into an eternity. When she finally returned, she was following a tall, brunette man who looked to be in his forties. He gave them a slightly strained smile before he introduced himself.

"Hello. I'm Doctor Simmons." he said, reaching out to give Kai a handshake. The Russian took it upon himself to introduce their group.

"I'm Kai." he then began motioning to the others. "That's Tala, Bryan, Judy, and Max."

"It's very nice to meet you all. Now, about your friend. I assume that the detectives that picked you up didn't give you very much information." At their annoyed looks, the doctor smiled and continued. "Mr. Kon was attacked in an alley last night and sustained injuries of varying degrees. He has a concussion, but we're hopeful that he will wake up soon. The more time that goes by without him regaining consciousness, the less his chances of a full recovery get. He also has a few cracked and broken ribs and several gashes that were made by a knife. What I really wanted to talk to you about, though, is, what may prove to be, mental harm. Because of the state of undress he was found in, following procedure, I had a rape kit done. Needless to say, it came back positive. He has some bleeding and tearing, but nothing that shouldn't heal on it's own accord. I'm sure that, when he wakes up, Mr. Kon is going to be quite distressed. He's going to need all of the support he can get to make it through this ordeal." the doctor paused for a moment, pulling a card from his coat pocket. "I'm recommending that he see a therapist as soon as he's awake for a day or two." Doctor Simmons surveyed the people in front of him, taking in their reactions to the devastating news he just gave them. It seemed that the three men couldn't decide between rage and worry, an ugly mesh of the two emotions twisting their faces. The woman's eyes were filled with unshed tears. He could tell she was trying to be strong for the boy who, he assumed, was her son. The smallest of the group was openly crying tears of frustration and sorrow at what his friend had to suffer through. He didn't get any further, though, as the opening and closing of the door behind him caught his attention. There was no one there and he figured a nurse had gone in to check on the injured boy. The air was stifled with an emotion-leaden atmosphere and Doctor Simmons was glad when he heard the door open once more. One of the younger nurses approached him and smiled happily.

"Mr. Kon is awake." Everyone perked up at the news, anxious to see their friend.

"Let me go check on him and then I'll come and get you." Taking their nods as a sign to go on, the doctor entered the room.

~x~x~x~

Rei looked up, eyes red-rimmed and puffy, to see who was coming in his room now. He really hoped it wasn't anyone he knew. He didn't want any of them to see him like this. Especially not the three Russians, who he was sure would only take this opportunity to make him feel even worse. To his surprise, though, it was a man Rei had never seen before. He assumed the man was a doctor, if the lab-coat was anything to go by. The man smiled at him gently.

"Hello Rei. I'm Doctor Simmons. How are you feeling?" Rei's only response was to scowl darkly at the man. Doctor Simmons chuckled softly, trying to keep the mood light. "Not that good, I take it. Listen, if you feel up to it, your friends are outside and would love to visit with you for a while." Rei stiffened at the comment, pain jolting him at the reaction.

"No." he whispered, lowering his head so that his bangs covered his face.

"What was that?" Simmons asked.

"I _said_ no." the boy replied, slightly louder than before. The brown-haired man looked slightly taken aback at Rei's statement. He remained speechless until he heard a quiet, "Please leave now."

~x~x~x~

Brooklyn watched from his chair as anxiety and and remorse thrumming through each one of their bodies. He really felt for them. Having something like this happen to a loved one _had_ to be a wretched experience. His teal eyes snapped to the light brown door as it opened once more, everyone going on alert as the doctor stepped out.

"Can we go in now?" Judy asked as soon as she saw the doctor. He looked at her, regret written all over his face as he answered.

"He doesn't wish to see anyone at the moment. You should come back later in the day to see if he feels any better." Nobody spoke after that, each one too shocked by the fact that Rei didn't want to see them to make their mouths cooperate.

~x~x~x~

**TBC...**

**A/N:** Dun, dun, duuuuuunnnn... ^-^

(A really awesome band you guys should check out is Aicle. They're my new obsession. . )


	6. Chapter 6

**Title:** Imperfect Countenance

**Author:** YaoiGoddessNekoJin

**Rating:** T

**Warnings:** Yaoi, Language, Violence, Implied Rape, *Chapter may be triggering to those who have struggled with self-harm*

**A/N: **Alright, I know this is rather late and I apologize for that. Thank you again to all of my reviewers! ^-^

Anyway, I hope ya'll enjoy this next installment of Imperfect Countenance! ^-^

_**Chapter VI**_

_Darkness surrounded him in a thick, inky, black fog. It made it incredibly hard for Rei to even breathe. He coughed, trying desperately to force air into his burning lungs. Rei's heart stopped and a white hot chill of sheer terror froze his body to the spot when he caught sight of glowing, red eyes in the midst of the heavy fog. As the eyes got closer, Rei began to struggle, desperately, against his invisible bonds. He tried to scream, but no sound emitted from his mouth._

x~x~x

Rei awoke with a jerk, body covered in a quickly cooling sheen of sweat. His breathing was ragged and his heart was racing. It had only been a nightmare. He'd been having them every time he closed his eyes it seemed. As the adrenaline wore off, Rei's injuries were brought back to the forefront of his mind as they began stinging fiercely. The pain that washed over the boy brought tears to the golden eyes. Rei lay there, stock still, for what seemed like hours before the pain slowly subsided. Rei sighed in relief when the once sharp, stabbing pain became a dull, manageable ache. He reached a still trembling hand to feel the rough bandage wrapped around his face. It had been two days since he'd been admitted to the hospital. Two days and nobody, not Kai, Judy, or even Max, had come to back to visit him. He guessed he asked for it. After all, he _had _been the one that had told them he didn't want to see them. But, he had been upset, vulnerable, and he just didn't have the energy left for visitors. _'I know part of it was that I didn't want them to see my face as well.' _he silently admitted. Now, however, he was overwhelmingly lonely. In fact, the last time he had felt this alone had been just after his parents had died. Rei's eyes began to water as he thought about everything. It didn't seem that he would ever get a break. Right when he was about to finally make something of himself, this had to happen. No magazine or any other modeling outlet would want to hire him with the hideous scar that now adorned his face. What else could go wrong in his miserable excuse for a life? Not only had his career been ruined, but he had been violated in such a way that he felt he could never recover from. At least not emotionally, any way. By this point, hot tears trailed down his face, the salt from them stinging the cut on his face as they soaked into the gauze bandages. Rei felt completely and utterly worthless. After quietly weeping for several moments, Rei decided to try and get up so that he could go to the bathroom. Sitting up carefully, he had to stifle a yelp of pain as the shock blazed up his spine. He sat there for a moment, attempting to regain his breath, before gently swinging his legs over the side of the hospital bed. He grabbed the bed rail in a white-knuckled grip to steady him as he rose to his feet. Ever so cautiously, he put one foot in front of the other and began to make his way, precariously, to the restroom.

Once he had made it to his private bathroom, Rei closed the large, wooden door behind him and braced himself on the porcelain sink, looking at his reflection in the mirror. Gosh, he looked awful. His hair was lifeless and stringy, his skin was a chalky pale, even his eyes were a dull, ugly bronze. The pristine white of the gauze only succeeded in making him look even more washed out. If that weren't enough to make Kai hate him, he was sure that the fact that he had been tainted certainly would. He was dirty. _'I don't want to be here anymore.' _he thought, angrily, as he brought his fist back in the air. He swung with a frustrated cry and his fist connected with the mirror, shattering it on impact. He fell to his knees, tears once more returning in the form of heaving sobs. He carefully picked up a jagged shard of glass, turning it over and gently rubbed a finger down one side. A tiny sting was the only sensation he felt as a small amount of blood surfaced. Rei smiled with grim satisfaction as he raised the large shard to his wrist. Gritting his teeth, Rei pressed down as hard as he could and pulled the glass across his skin, ripping a gaping cut in his arm. He then did the same to the other wrist and sat with his back leaning against the door. He watched in amazement as twin rivers of crimson red ran down his hands to collect in pools on the floor. As the minutes ticked by, the puddles of blood became larger and larger, soaking into the white hospital gown he was wearing. Rei's vision began to darken around the edges and he leaned his head heavily against the door as the darkness closed in more and he began to feel a tiredness descend upon him. His last thought before he blacked out was that he would finally find peace.

x~x~x

**TBC...**

**A/N: **Okey dokey. So, that wasn't too long, but it's better than nothing, ne? Well, review and let me know what ya think. .


	7. Chapter 7

**Title:** Imperfect Countenance

**Author:** YaoiGoddessNekoJin

**Rating:** T

**Warnings:** Yaoi, Language, Violence, Implied Rape, *Chapter may be triggering to those who have struggled with self-harm*

**A/N:** Yahoo! Another chapter! I've been spending my free time at work writing for this story, so I am able to concentrate a little more on it. ^-^

Enjoy!

_**Chapter VII**_

Kai hadn't been able to sleep since Rei was attacked. He usually spent his nights standing in the kitchen and drinking coffee, which was really only half coffee, the other half being vodka. He usually spent the entire night just thinking. He wanted to go to the hospital to check on Rei and see how he was coping with his injuries. However, Judy had decided that the raven-haired boy could use some time alone to sort his thoughts out before he had to 'put up with visitors' as she put it. Kai, however, didn't like that one bit. Sure, Rei had said that he didn't _want _to see them the last time they were there, but he didn't know what was best for himself. He was too emotional...too hurt to know what he needed at the moment. Well, at least Kai had time to sort out his own thoughts where the Chinese boy was concerned. For that, he was thankful. Kai wasn't a person who had too much experience with things like emotions. His grandfather had made sure of that. Just then, the sound of the phone ringing brought Kai from his musings. He set down his coffee cup and moved over to answer it.

"Hello?" he spoke, crimson eyes narrowing in annoyance at being interrupted.

"Yes, is this where Rei Kon has been staying?" came a woman's voice. Kai's heart seemed to skip a beat when he noticed the worry and urgency in her voice.

"Yes. Who's this?"

"This is New York-Presbyterian and I'm afraid there's been an incident. Dr. Simmons has requested that you come down to the hospital right away." A flash of panic went through Kai's whole body at the mention that something had happened. The only thing he could do was mumble a quick 'I'll be there.' before rushing around to wake everyone else from their slumber.

x~x~x

They had been waiting in the tiny, sterile room for fifteen minutes already. Everyone was getting more and more agitated as the minutes ticked by. They wanted to know what had happened to Rei. After Kai had woken everybody up from their restless sleep, the suite became a mad house. All five of them were running around, frantically, trying to get dressed so that they could get to the hospital as fast as possible. When they finally arrived, they were told, by a nurse, to sit in a private waiting room until the doctor came to get them. Judy had been the first to take a seat, Max snuggling in right beside her. The boy had been beside himself with worry. Next, Bryan took a seat on a two-person sofa on the opposite side of the room with Tala curled up beside him. Lastly, Kai stood against one of the walls, arms crossed and eyes closed. _Finally_, after what seemed like hours, the door opened, sound near deafening in the silence of the room, and the doctor walked in, his pristine dress shoes squeaking against the tile of the floor. Everyone sat up straight, full attention focused on Dr. Simmons.

"I'm sorry to bother you all so late." he began. "I'm afraid that Rei is more emotionally fragile and unstable than we had originally thought." Kai's heart seemed to plummet to his stomach and a foreboding chill ran up his spine. "About an hour ago, one of the nurses found Rei in his bathroom. He had smashed the mirror and attempted to take his own life by slitting his wrists." Dr. Simmons said. He paused to give the shocked occupants of the room time to process this information before continuing. "Now, the nurse found Rei just in time. He had lost a lot of blood, but we have him hooked up with a transfusion and he should recover soon. We also have him on suicide watch and have placed him in restraints so that he can't hurt himself again. This will last for a minimum of seventy-two hours, during which time we will have him visited by the hospital's psychologist twice a day. If, at the end of the three day period, Rei has made no improvement, he will be placed in the Psyche Ward until he is able to show that he can function and we feel confident that he will not make another attempt on his life."

By the time that that Dr. Simmons was finished speaking, Max had burst into tears and was being consoled by Judy, who's blue eyes were also shining with tears. The three Russians were stoically waiting to see what was going to happen next, none of their facades betraying what they were really feeling on the inside. Finally, Judy spoke up.

"Can we see him?" she asked, eyes begging the doctor to say yes.

"I guess so. He has been sedated, so he may be asleep."

"Alright, thank you so much." Judy said, turning to the others. "Boys, c'mon." At this, a look of astonishment passed over the faces of Tala, Bryan, and Kai. Bryan was the first to regain his composure and speak.

"You want us to come too?" Judy smiled at the lavender-haired man.

"Of course, why wouldn't I?" Tala was the one to speak this time.

"Because, we're just bodyguards."

"Nope." The three looked at Judy like she was insane. After a moment, she continued. "You're friends."

x~x~x

The small group of people took tentative, quiet steps into the dark hospital room. It broke everyone's heart to see the ghostly-pale Chinese boy laying, lifelessly, on the bed. An IV bag of crimson, red blood was hooked into his thin arm, along with other nutrients and medicines that his body needed. Soft, padded cuffs were around his wrists and ankles, ensuring that he would not be able to move once he awoke. Max was the first to break away from the group. He sat down in a chair at the side of the bed, gently placing one hand over Rei's. The others moved in behind him, Judy taking the space beside her son and the other three leaning against the air conditioning unit on the other side of the bed. Almost as soon as they took their places, a flicker of gold caught Max's attention.

"Look! I think he's waking up!" he exclaimed, tightening his grip on the boy's hand slightly. Everyone watched silently as Rei regained consciousness. After a moment, however, he began struggling against the bonds that were holding him to the bed. His eyes widened in terror when he didn't recognize his surroundings. Rei began to panic only to yelp in pain when he tugged too hard at his wrists. Seeing that Rei wasn't going to calm down, Kai did the first thing that came to mind and pushed himself off the wall and over to the bed. He put his hand on the boy's forehead and gently stroked his hair back, attempting to placate him. Feeling the warmth, Rei settled and turned amber eyes up to meet crimson ones.

"Shh...calm down." Kai murmured. A flush of bright pink spread across the pale cheeks of the raven-haired boy before he shook himself back to reality.

"W-why am I not dead?" he asked in a small voice. Just as Kai was about to answer him, he was shoved out of the way by Tala. The fiery red-head took Kai's place and looked down at Rei. His icy blue eyes were hard with anger and, faster than Rei could blink, Tala drew back his hand and slapped the boy across the face. Rei sat, stunned, for a moment before his anger kicked in.

"What the hell was that for?"

"For being an idiot!" Tala yelled back, just as indignant as the Chinese boy.

"Why do you even care? Wouldn't you be happy if you didn't have to babysit anymore? That's the only you're here...all three of you! Why did you even come to the hospital? Why are you even _trying_ to act like you care?" he yelled at all three Russians, pulling against the bonds holding him down and succeeding in re-opening his wounds. Having had enough of the entire situation, Bryan decided it was his turn to face the outraged boy. Gently moving Tala out of the way, Bryan grabbed Rei's shoulders and shoved him down into the bed. He glared into amber eyes and spoke in a low voice.

"Listen brat, we didn't _have_ to come here. We did because we wanted to. That night that you ran off to pout, neither Tala nor Kai were able to relax, much less sleep. In fact, Kai hasn't slept at all since that night." At this revelation, Rei's eyes widened in shock and Tala and Kai glared at Bryan with anger at being 'sold out.' Before they could respond, however, Bryan continued.

"Trust me, if they didn't if they didn't care, you'd _know_ it. I don't know what you've done to them...us...but you've had an effect that that nobody else has. Stop being so selfish." By the time that the lilac-eyed man had finished speaking, he had to catch his breath and uncurl his fingers from where they had dug into Rei's shoulder. Rei was looking at the opposite wall, past Judy and Max, feeling more miserable and ashamed than ever. He felt the, now-familiar, sting of tears pricking his eyes. He was startled when he felt large hands on his. He looked down and saw said hands fiddling with the restraints. He looked up at Bryan, questioningly.

"You're not going to try anything else, are you?" At the question, Rei shook his head. "Good, because if you do, I'll kill you myself."

Once all of the restraints had been removed and the nurses had come in and changed Rei's bandages, the Chinese boy lie there, exhausted both physically and emotionally. His head was spinning with the information he had learned about his bodyguards. This was...insane... They acted so mean to him. He had convinced himself that, surely that meant they hated him. And, why shouldn't they? He hated himself right now. Rei was pulled from his thoughts as Judy stood up and began to speak.

"Well, Maxie and I are going to head back to the suite now. I think the four of you need to talk some things out so we're going to give you some privacy. C'mon Max." she said, turning to her son in the process. Not wanting to leave Rei so soon, Max groaned, but did as his mother told him.

x~x~x

Almost as soon as Judy and Max had left, Kai, Tala, and Bryan had all turned to Rei, only to find the boy fast asleep. It had been about an hour since then and Rei was beginning to show signs of waking up. The three focused their attention on the boy in front of them.

"Well, it's about time you woke up, princess." Tala said in a snarky manner. When the amber eyes finally opened, Rei scowled the best that he could muster at that moment, only succeeding in making himself look like a pouting child.

"Shove it Tala." he muttered, making the three others smirk. While he was asleep, Kai and Bryan had gotten the chairs from the other side of the bed and placed them opposite their original positions. Tala, as usual, had taken up his spot in Bryan's lap. Kai stood and scooted his chair slightly closer to the bed and let down the bed rail so that his vision would be unimpeded. A slight pink tinged Rei's cheeks as the barrier between them was removed.

How do you feel?" was the only thing that left Kai's mouth as he stared, stoically, at Rei.

"F-fine, I guess." the boy stumbled out, his blush becoming darker by the second. Another moment of stifling silence passed and then Kai did something that shocked everyone in the room. The bluenette took his hand and placed it gently over Rei's, curling his fingers around the petite appendage. After getting over his initial shock, Bryan stood from his chair, nearly dumping Tala into the floor in the process, and grabbed his lover's arm, leading him from the room. Once the door had closed with a soft 'click,' Kai turned his eyes back to Rei.

"I'm sorry." Rei's golden eyes widened slightly and they made contact with Kai's scarlet, red ones.

"W-what?" the raven-haired boy asked in astonishment.

"If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have been attacked." Rei tried to cut him off, but Kai just continued. "I'm not a person that gets scared easily. After all, most emotions are weaknesses. But, I _was_ scared, Rei. I was scared because, suddenly, everything that I had been worried about became obsolete...seemed so trivial. The only thing I could think about was that you could die and it would be my fault. I hurt you because I was being a selfish idiot. Rei, if you had succeeded tonight, I never would have forgiven myself. Hell, I probably _still_ won't forgive myself for hurting you. I'm sorry." By the time Kai was finished with his speech, Rei was sniffling, crystal tears running down his cheeks. Seeing this, Kai raised the hand that wasn't holding Rei's and used his thumb to gently wipe the tears from his cheeks, as if he were a fragile, porcelain doll that he feared breaking. Rei brought his free hand up, placing it over the one on his face.

"Kai." he tried speaking, only for his voice to crack. He cleared his throat and tried again. "A-are you being serious? This isn't some kind of joke?" Instead of saying anything in response to Rei's question, Kai carefully grabbed his face, mindful of his injury, and moved closer to him so that their breath mingled. A second later, Kai's lips were on Rei's warm, pliant ones and, just as the previous kiss they shared, this one was chaste and soft. When they broke apart, Rei's face was bright red. Kai let a small smile grace his lips. He thought Rei looked absolutely dazzling like that.

"Was that serious enough for you?" the bluenette asked, smile quickly turning into a smirk. Rei just nodded his head without saying anything, a silence, albeit a comfortable one, descended upon the two. They simply sat there, holding tightly onto the other's hand, and thought about everything that had transpired over the past couple of days, both amazed by the recent turn of events. Rei looked at Kai from the corner of his eye. He studied the man for a moment, debating on whether or not he should ask a question that had been bugging him since the first time they had shared a kiss. His curiosity winning out over his apprehension, Rei spoke up.

"Why?" he asked simply. Kai jerked out of his thoughts at the sound of the Chinese boy's voice and looked into questioning, golden eyes.

"What?" he asked back, not understanding what Rei was asking him.

"Why me? What made you decide that you wanted to pursue something? Why would you _want_ to pursue something with me? And, why were you being such a jerk before?" he asked in a rushed breath, forcing Kai to have to really concentrate so that he could follow what what was being said. Once Rei was finished, Kai tried to quell the boy's fears and explain a few things to him.

"As for your first few questions, it's really easy. You're the most beautiful, kind, gentle person I've ever met. Nobody has ever been able to get past my defenses so easily, much less in a matter of days. You truly are an amazing person."

"Stop trying to make me cry." Rei mumbled when Kai paused. This caused an uncharacteristic chuckle to erupt from the Russian's mouth. He stroked Rei's hand and continued.

"As for your last question, I'm sorry. It's just the way I was raised." At Rei's confused gaze, Kai decided that, for the first time in more then ten years, he would tell someone his life's story.

**TBC...**

**A/N:** Bwahahahaha! A cliffy! ...of sorts... So, if you haven't guessed by now, the next chapter is going to be a bit more about Kai and his, Tala, and Bryan's pasts.

Ja-ne!


	8. Chapter 8

**Title:** Imperfect Countenance

**Author:** YaoiGoddessNekoJin

**Rating:** T

**Warnings:** Yaoi, Language, Violence, Implied Rape

**A/N:** Another chapter is here. I'm on a roll! Well, I hope you guys enjoy this one!

_**Chapter VIII**_

"When I was a toddler, my parents were both killed in an armed bank robbery. They were going to withdraw some money so that they could pay for a trip for the family on my birthday. You see, my parents had a moderate amount of money, but nothing spectacular. Since my sixth birthday was coming up, they wanted to do something extravagant. My grandfather, my father's father, was a very rich man. My parents would occasionally ask him for financial help, however, they tried to refrain if they could. They didn't like borrowing money from my grandfather because they always said that he wasn't a very nice man. Anyway, my parents ended up going to him and he actually agreed to loan them the money. He sent them to his bank to withdraw what they needed.

"While they were at the bank, a couple of masked robbers, carrying guns, came in to rob the place. My parents just got in the way...they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. One of the robbers shot them both and they died instantly." By the time Kai had finished talking about his parents, Rei was on the verge of tears again.

"I'm so sorry. That's awful." Kai just shook his head.

"It's okay. It was a long time ago. Anyway, that's not even half of the story."

x~x~x

_Soft, fluffy flakes of snow drifted languidly to the white-covered ground. Black limousines lined the small roads of the cemetery. People dressed in all black were gathered around two caskets. A young boy was at the front and center of the group, snow flakes landing gently in his tendrils of wild, blue hair and crystalline tears running down his cheeks. As the priest spoke about the boy's parents, he looked around, crimson eyes studying all of the people who had known his father and mother. Off to the side, near a large tree, the boy noticed a purple-haired man. He didn't like the man just from looking at him. He had never seen him before and wondered what he was doing at his parents' funeral._

_x~x~x_

_Once the funeral was over, everybody congregated at the Hiwatari household. The boy, Kai Hiwatari, had run up to his bedroom as soon as he arrived. He couldn't believe this had happened. His mom and dad were gone._

_Kai was laying on his bed, sobbing, when the door creaked open. He sniffled and turned around to see who had come into his room. Who stood in the doorway shocked him. It was his grandfather, Voltaire Hiwatari. Kai scrambled to sit up on the bed._

"_Why are you crying, boy?" the old man asked gruffly. Kai didn't answer him, just sniffled again. This angered Voltaire and he spoke again. "You'll learn soon enough. You're coming to live with me. There may be hope, yet, to undo everything my incompetent brat of a son did."_

x~x~x

"After that, I moved into my grandfather's mansion."

"So, who was that guy at the funeral?" Rei asked, completely enthralled by Kai's tragic tale.

"His name is Boris Balcov. He works for my grandfather."

x~x~x

"_Kai, honey, please eat something. You're entirely too skinny, dear." said a kind, plump, middle-aged woman. She was the cook at Hiwatari Manor and she was always trying to push food on Kai, who she believed was too small for his age._

"_I'm fine Mrs. Trovoski, really, I'm not hungry." he answered politely. He was very thankful that he had the woman. If it weren't for her, this place would be unbearable. Kai had been living there for three months already and he hated it. Just then, Boris walked into the kitchen, pulling the boy from his internal musings._

"_Mrs. Trovoski! Don't be feeding the brat. Do you want him to be huge by the time he's six?" he snapped._

"_I am six, moron." Kai mumbled under his breath. Unfortunately, Boris still heard what he said. He stormed over to where the boy was sitting on a bar stool, rage flashing in his dark eyes. He drew back his arm and backhanded Kai across the face, causing him to fall off of stool and onto the floor with a painful 'thud.' Kai looked up at Boris with wide eyes, crimson trickling out of his mouth._

"_If you ever speak to me like that again, boy, I'll beat you so bad you won't be able to see straight for days." That being said, Boris stomped from the kitchen, slamming the door behind him. Kai's eyes filled with tears and Mrs. Trovoski rushed over, consoling him and getting his wound cleaned up._

x~x~x

"That was the beginning of it all. After that, both Boris and Voltaire would give me daily beatings. They claimed it would make me a better man than my father." Rei gasped. He couldn't imagine anyone treating a child in such a way. His heart really broke for the pain that Kai had to endure when he was younger.

"That's awful." he said. Kai just nodded and continued his story.

"When I was eight, I met Tala and Bryan. They had grown up in an orphanage in the middle of Moscow. I was never allowed to play with other kids, so, when I bumped into them while running an errand for Voltaire, we had a bit of a rocky start."

x~x~x

_Kai walked down the slippery road in the dreary rain. Voltaire had asked him...no, wait...demanded that he get out in the cold, wet, miserableness to pick up some things for a business dinner that he was hosting later that night. Even at eight years old, Kai knew full well that the only reason Voltaire had sent him out instead of one of the servants was because it served as a punishment. Kai had 'mouthed off' earlier in the week and had been severely beaten for it. This was the first day he was actually able to get out of bed. So, what does Voltaire do? He sends Kai out to further his consequences. Kai was so lost in his thoughts that he failed to notice a boy running towards him. In a flash of red, someone crashed into Kai, sending both of them to the wet, muddy ground. Snarling in anger, Kai jumped to his feet and towered over the other boy._

"_Watch where you're going, moron!" he shouted. The boy on the ground looked up at Kai through his fire-red bangs and icy blue met crimson._

"_Me? You're the one that wasn't looking!" the boy retorted. Angered, Kai grabbed the front of the red-heads shirt, fully intent on beating some sense into him, when a larger hand grabbed his wrist. For a second, until he realized that the hand didn't belong to either his grandfather or Boris, Kai's entire body went rigid. He looked up and found himself staring into lilac eyes that were filled with annoyance. Kai scowled and tried to jerk his arm from the older boy's grasp, but was ultimately unsuccessful._

"_Let me go you big oaf!" he yelled. The red-head, who had taken up a spot behind the larger boy smirked at Kai._

"_Haha! That'll teach you to mess with me, you jerk." he gloated. Kai growled and was about to throw another insult out when he was cut off by the boy that had a hold on his arm._

"_Shut up Tala." he ordered, turning to face Kai again. "And you, quit squirming."_

"_But-" Kai started._

"_No buts. You were _both _in the wrong and you _both _should apologize to the other."_

"_But he started it Bryan." Tala whined._

"_I don't care _who _started it, I'm ending it. Now, c'mon. Tala and I were just going to get something to eat. Um..." Kai looked up at the taller boy, Bryan, as his wrist was finally released._

"_Kai."_

"_Kai, would you like to join us?" Crimson eyes widened in surprise. He had been just about to get in an all out school yard brawl with this guy's friend and he was inviting him to eat with them? Even more, Tala seemed to be about the same age as he was, and Bryan not much older, and their parents just let them go out to eat by themselves? Kai was confused, but when he remembered that he hadn't eaten at all that day, Voltaire hadn't allowed it, he agreed._

"_Okay." he said._

_x~x~x_

_As Kai walked back to Voltaire's that evening, he thought about the new friends he had made. They actually weren't as bad as he had originally thought they were. Tala and Bryan, he learned, were both orphans who lived in an orphanage in town. Tala was eight as well and Bryan was eleven. They had met after Tala had been sent there and, immediately, Bryan had taken to protecting Tala from the bullies and older children. Kai liked Bryan. He was very reasonable and honorable. He also found that he liked Tala, too. The boy seemed rough at first, but soon Kai found out that he was quite cheerful and mischievous. He was quite the prankster, too. After he had learned about the other two, Kai told them about himself, his parents, his grandfather, and everything that he deemed important. They had been astonished by his story and angered that something like that could happen. Tala had offered to help Kai run away, even saying he would harbor him in his cot at the orphanage. This caused Kai to laugh at the boy. He insisted he would be fine and that they shouldn't worry about him. When they were about to part ways, they made plans to meet again in a few days to hang out. Kai felt calm and happy, which was something that he hadn't felt in a little more then two years. Despite everything, it had been a good day._

x~x~x

"Ever since that day, Bryan, Tala, and I have been inseparable. We're best friends and they're the only family I've known since my parents died." At the conclusion of his story, Kai gazed at Rei to gauge his reaction. He noticed that the golden eyes were glazed over with unshed tears, but he was smiling.

"Well, I'm glad you met them, then." he said in a choked voice. "I hope they'll warm up to me too."

"They already have, trust me."

"So, do you still live with your grandfather?" Rei asked. Kai became serious once more and nodded his head.

"Yeah, he moved us here, not to long ago, so that he could venture into more business opportunities. Tala and Bryan followed me."

"Wow, now that's real friendship." As soon as the statement left Rei's mouth, he let out a large yawn that sent tremors throughout his entire frame. Kai smiled at the cute display and moved to stand up.

"You need to sleep." he said as he got ready to bid Rei a goodnight.

"Wait." Rei called, grabbing onto Kai's arm. "Don't leave me. Please." Kai looked into the imploring eyes and his heart melted at the sight. He moved closer to the bed and was planning on sitting back down into the chair when Rei tugged on the arm that was still in his grip.

"Are you sure?" Kai asked, knowing what Rei wanted, but afraid of hurting him.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. You, however, can't spend the whole night in a stiff chair." Kai nodded and removed his shoes before pulling back the covers on the hospital bed and gently slipping underneath. He turned onto his side and opened his arms for Rei to snuggle into. "Goodnight." Rei whispered before burrowing his head into the crook of Kai's neck.

"Goodnight." Kai repeated, laying his head on the mass of black hair. After a few moments, he felt Rei's breathing even out. He smiled, slowly drifting off into a dreamless slumber, himself. For once, things were beginning to look up for him.

**TBC...**

**A/N: **Woohoo! Chapter 8 down...and still more to come. ^-^

Ja-ne!


End file.
